UPMC settles union-busting complaint with board

PITTSBURGH—The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center settled a complaint Thursday with the National Labor Relations Board over union-organizing efforts at four of its hospitals.

The complaint was based on allegations by SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania, which has been trying to organize service and maintenance workers at UPMC's Presbyterian, Montefiore, Shadyside and Magee-Womens hospitals.

SEIU said two workers who were fired because of their union-organizing activities will be reinstated with 80 percent back pay and have the terminations removed from their personnel records. The union also said six workers who were disciplined will have those entries removed from their records.

UPMC, which has about 56,000 workers, will also be required to change its policies about the union organizing efforts, and managers will undergo training about complying with labor laws.

UPMC welcomed the settlement in a statement but criticized the union.

"The settlement terminates an overstated and disruptive collection of allegations initiated by a labor union that has been attempting to draw attention to itself for more than a year," UPMC said.

SEIU Healthcare claimed that UPMC tried to intimidate service and maintenance workers from unionizing and that UPMC supervisors led workers to believe the hospital network was monitoring union organizing.